


Someday

by fullmoonrisin



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, shoot reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 12:30:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3692349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmoonrisin/pseuds/fullmoonrisin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Samaritan is finally destroyed, Root is reunited with Shaw and months of angst and self-blame come to the surface at 1AM.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someday

After that latest ordeal, after nearly losing Harold, Root throws herself even further into her own plans for taking down Samaritan with sporadic guidance from The Machine. In time, Harold forgives her and she learns that he’s been working on a new weapon. They come to a compromise this time.

Root gives in to Harold’s insistence on the condition that she be the one to introduce this new Trojan Horse to Samaritan’s technology. Afterall, she is granted better protection by The Machine and the app she’s been working on would be a perfect host. 

And well…if she dies, that would be a lot more welcome than the alternative.

So they both set out plotting Samaritan’s demise until the day of reckoning arrives and the AI is left crippled as the team charges into Decima’s last stronghold in the city, and one of few still operational in the world.

It is there, in the midst of chaos, thick smoke, and gunfire that Root’s heart stops for the briefest of moments as her eyes meet a familiar pair of deep brown eyes she hasn’t seen in months, that part of her thought She might never see again despite her relentless searching.

Sameen.

The name rings in her mind like the bell atop a church tower and she registers the fact that the woman before her bears an awestruck expression that she can only imagine matches the one on her own face. 

There is no time to dwell, though. A burning pain in her left shoulder snaps her from her thoughts and she continues to fight, feeling the first genuine smile in months tug at the corners of her lips as Shaw snaps into battle mode and takes out the operative responsible for her shoulder wound. They still had a long night ahead of them, but this was a start.

That final battle lasted hours; raged on well into the night. It was almost one in the morning by the time they managed to fend off the last of the agents and stagger out of the building to tend to their wounds. Finch and Root had made sure that there were no backups, no hard drives, nothing left that could be used to revive the fallen system. The only remnant of Samaritan now is Greer, left to watch the fruits of his machinations crumble around his ears as the gang limps silently into the night. 

They decide to leave him be for the night, they can always find him later. What matters now is that Shaw is safe and they’re a team again.

That thought plays out in Root’s mind like a mantra all the way to the subway and all through the time the team spends tending to each other’s wounds until slowly, they trickle out and its just her and Shaw left. She watches as Shaw takes in her surroundings, looking at everything in the subway as if it means the world to her…as if it has become home during her absence. A look of hesitance settles over her face when her eyes find the cot and she tries to stifle a yawn.

Root knows that Shaw’s old apartment has new tenants and she looks at her with sympathy. Before she can stop herself she’s offering something she’s not sure Shaw will care for.

"I’ve got a more comfortable bed. If you’d rather."

To her surprise, the statement is devoid of any of her typical innuendo in spite of the overwhelming joy she feels at Shaw’s presence once again invading her every sense. To Shaw’s surprise, she finds that she really doesn’t mind the idea. That last lingering vestige of denial tries to reason that it’s just a comfortable bed, but the rest of her knows she’s missed this annoying woman more than she ever thought herself capable of missing anyone. 

So she speaks her assent and that’s how they find themselves walking into Root’s apartment at one o’ clock in the morning. It is here in the safety of her own home that Root’s façade breaks and the emotions built up over the past several months come out.

"Root?"

Shaw is giving the dressing on Root’s shoulder another look when she looks up to notice the tearful gaze that is fixed on her. Her questioning only prompts more tears and before she knows it, Root surges forward, wraps her arms around Shaw and squeezes until Shaw swears she can hear her ribs beginning to crack.

Root’s face is buried in Shaw’s hair and her sobs are relentless in Shaw’s ear as the assassin stands frozen for a moment. She’s not built for this stuff, she doesn’t know what to do here. 

Slowly but hesitantly, she follows some sort of instinct she didn’t know she had and brings her arms around Root’s back and waits patiently, cringing at the continued sobbing that reminds her so much of the day they last saw each other.

"Root…" She says after a few long moments that feel more like an eternity. 

"Root. Shh…" She tries, pulling back and reaching for the hacker’s face where it rests in the nape of her neck. She’s trying to restrain herself, Shaw knows, but she just falls short of managing. She whispers something Shaw can’t quite make out and locks her eyes with the floor as Shaw finally holds Root’s face in front of her.

"What?" Shaw asks somewhat more gently than she usually would.

There’s a slight sob and then “You were gone.” as Root’s eyes come up to meet hers. Shaw is surprised to find that she can’t really help the little half smirk that forms on her lips at the obvious statement.

"And here I am."

Root continues to speak as if she hadn’t even heard Shaw; even ignores the rather uncharacteristic gesture of Shaw wiping her tears away. “You were gone and it was my fault…I almost got you killed.”

By now Shaw is growing confused and the fatigue settling in on her is making it difficult to handle Root’s emotions. “How is…?” Then she remembers Root’s call to her on the day in question. “Seriously? Root you can’t honestly think I wasn’t already planning to show up before you called.” She made a show of rolling her eyes at the situation. It was all true and she’d do it again if she had to.

Root knew that too.

"I know." She spoke quietly, glaring at Shaw through watery eyes and tearing her face from her hands. "And I want to hate that, I really do. I want to hate that you can go off at any time without a second thought for your life, but…" A bitter chuckle filled the room and Shaw once again found herself lost. She could only guess at what had happened while she was away.

"But?"

"But it wasn’t until we lost you that I really understood it." Root smiled grimly and Shaw shook her head defiantly.

"You didn’t lose me, Root." It was almost a reassuring tone. "I’m right here."

"We didn’t know that. I didn’t know that." Root protested. "John and I, we looked for you for a while. He and Harold had to stop when we got to close to Samaritan, but I never did. I couldn’t; not until I knew."

At a loss for anything to say and finding herself oddly touched at the recounting of events, Shaw simply nods solemnly at Root’s words. She watches Root’s bottom lip quiver for a moment and feels a bit uncomfortable under the hacker’s intense gaze, but says nothing. After a moment, Root continues to speak.

"I chased dead end after dead end, false hope after false hope for months. So, you’ll forgive me if I have a hard time believing that you’re really here." Shaw is pleased at the lighter tone Root’s voice takes toward the end of her speech as well as the shy smile that spreads on her face. She returns the expression with a raised eyebrow as she steps a bit closer to Root. For once in this conversation she finds herself knowing exactly what to say, and she’s known exactly what she wants for a while now.

"Well…I could show you how real I am." Shaw offers, and her hands find Roots hips as she looks up in anticipation with her lower lip drawn into her teeth. 

Root pretends to think on it for a moment even as she smiles a wide, devious grin that has a new life to it. Looking down at Shaw she gives her answer.

"Sounds cozy."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! So this was a product of late night tumblr musings. That'd be why it's on the short side. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the read!


End file.
